


Salutations to Our Past; or Another Beginning

by Irving-Braxiatel (Elycia7)



Series: Wynter Olympics [5]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Gallifrey (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Winter Olympics, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-10 22:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17434937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elycia7/pseuds/Irving-Braxiatel
Summary: Although Irving has retired, Romana is still participating in the Winter Olympics with her new partner Matthias. Irving watches her from the sideline, thinking about the past, the present, and the future.





	Salutations to Our Past; or Another Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thejabberwocki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejabberwocki/gifts).



> I originally wrote this last year for the 2018 Winter Olympics, but wasn't able to finish it on time. I decided, now it is ice dance season again, that it would be a good time to revisit and finally publish it.

Half of Irving’s mind was occupied analysing the performance, watching the dancers’ every move. The other half could not stop admiring Romana, as she moved across the ice.

A Curve lift. One, two, three, four, five, six seconds. Perfect. Romana took Matthias’ hand, drawing him closer, and then just before they met she let go and skated away.

The music changed, and with it the dance. Matthias, a bit too far to the left. Romana picking up on it and adjusting so they are mirroring one another’s twizzle.

If Irving had not been so completely captivated, he would have noticed the hush that had fallen over the room, as everyone watched Romana with anticipation. She skated towards Matthias, who was waiting with open arms. They were about to do what had become known as Irving and Romana’s signature lift. Though she had not said so, he knew Romana had been worried about this. It was not an easy choreography, and so much rested on this, the showpiece of the dance. It simply could not be anything less than perfect.

They held it for twelve seconds, and rather than transition into a synchronised Beillmann as Irving and Romana were wont to do, they moved into a camel spin.

The transition to a new partner had not been easy for Romana. It had taken months before she stopped thinking everything Matthias was doing was _wrong._ It was only when Irving had offered to help her through the part of the new choreography that she took issue with she realised that what Matthias was doing was, in fact, technically perfect. The only thing he was doing wrong was not being the person she really wanted to be on the ice with.

The music started to fade as Romana and Matthias meet in the centre of the ice, in a desperate embrace, completing the story of their dance.

For a second all was quiet, and then the roar of applause began.

The two broke apart and then hugged again, this time to congratulate one another on a job well done.

Pride welled up in Irving’s chest, warming him from within. He knew their choreography by heart, and he could find next to no flaws in their execution of it today. He _had_ wondered if he would be jealous of Matthias, for getting to skate with Romana today, but he realised that right now all he wanted to do is tell Romana all of the different ways he loved her.

She caught his eye, and waved to him. The smile on her face was pure radiance, and it made his breath catch.

Romana and Matthias skated around the ice one last time, and then Romana was finally in Irving’s arms.

“You were perfect,” he whispered to her. He was holding her close enough to lift her off the floor, Romana hugging him back with just as much fever, pressing her forehead against his.

“Don’t let the judges see that, I’m certain that was more than twelve seconds,” Matthias said, alerting them that it was time for Romana to move on.

Irving put Romana down, chuckling.

They parted way, as Romana and Matthias went to get their scores. As he walked back to his seat Irving kept his gaze fixed on Romana. He could tell from her expression alone, now that it was over, she was starting to overthink their performance, mentally calculating all the things that could have reduced her and Matthias’ score.

Somehow Irving was only now realising. Up until now he and Romana had been the defending olympic champions. Romana still was, but he was no longer in the picture.

Which was fine.

Or not.

But that was life. He had to retire, he had no longer been at the same level as Romana, he would have dragged her down. A part of him felt that, at least, if she won, through that, he never really lost the title, and he was content with that.

Too busy wishing he could hold Romana’s hand and tell her how amazing her skate was, he nearly missed the announcement.

“- and Romana Lundar-Braxiatel is 124.02. Their overall score is 207.57”

Romana laughed with joy, as she had every right to. She, Matthias and their coaches hugged.

“This is the closest anyone has ever come to beating the Lundar-Braxiatels’ world record from the world championship two years ago. And well deserved. What an amazing performance-” Irving heard a reporter say, from their place in front of a camera fixed on the ice.

Romana was swept away by her coach who wanted to talk to her, Matthias, and their team. Before going, now out of the limelight, Romana sent Irving a wistful look. They both knew that had the choice been hers it would have been him out there with her on the ice.

As Romana left Irving returned his attention to the ice. A pair of young skaters were looking at him with something he was certain must be awe, while waiting to take the ice. Now there was a thought. They had to be close to the same age he and Romana had been when they competed in the winter Olympics for the first time. He had been sixteen, Romana fifteen. They had barely qualified, within a point of not making it. Of course they had known they would get nowhere near the podium, but the ambition was there.

His phone buzzed.

_‘I missed you on the ice.’_

He typed his reply quickly, ‘ _I intend to make up for that once you have won’_ and sent it.

 _‘And if we don’t win?_ ’

 _‘Then someone has been bribing the judges_ .’ He waited a few seconds then added, ‘ _Either way, I was hoping you would grant me the pleasure of your company at dinner tonight. Just the two of us.’_

_‘You have that look on your face.’_

He looked up and saw Romana take a seat across the rink. Even at distance he could tell she had one eyebrow raised, an expression he knew very well.

 _‘Somewhere terribly romantic and much too expensive, I assume?’_ She asked

 _‘I have a table booked’_ he confirmed.

‘ _I could be persuaded.’_

Irving turned his attention back to the pair who were still on the ice, and once again he thought back to their first Olympics. He wished he could say he remembered it clearly. Of course, he still considered it one of the most important days of his life, but it _had_ been 15 years. He could remember the music they skated to, but not much of their choreography. He could clearly remember the scratchy material of his shirt, but not whether Romana had worn gold or red. He remembered their overall score, but not how many points each individual component of their performance had received.

Most important of all, perhaps, he remembered the feeling of Romana’s hand in his when they stepped onto the ice. Both of them drowning in sudden attention. Their grips on each other kept them anchored long enough for them to get into position. And then in the split second before their music started playing they made eye contact, silently assuring one another that whatever was going to happen after this they were going to get through it together.

Had Romana had these same thoughts? Probably not, Irving decided. She had been particularly nervous about today. It had gone unspoken between them thus far but they both knew this would almost certainly be her last Olympic skate. She was still amazing, still the best ice dancer in the world, but he knew she wanted to go out on a high note. And amazing as she was, in four years she would not be able to keep up with the younger skaters in the field. Irving was starting to see it in her already. She had to work harder and longer to get the same results as she did just a year ago. It was not yet as bad as it had been for him when he decided to retire, but the early signs were there.

Life would move on for them. He knew Romana still wanted to go to university someday. They both wanted to travel, to see the world. And of course once she had retired they could start skating together again, not to be the best, but for the sheer sake of wanting to. There was so much _life_ left for them to enjoy together, retiring from skating was just the end of one of many chapters.

From the moment Romana and Matthias had received their score there been no doubt in Irving’s mind they would take the gold, so it was no surprise to him when the last pair were scored and came nowhere close to Romana and Matthias.

The two hugged and the pairs who has come in second and third place congratulated them, before their coaches came up to talk to them as well. There were skaters and journalists and audience members all eager to speak to the new Olympic champions.

Romana looked up at Irving as he stood. He weaved through the crowd, drawn in by her gaze. The two of them met in a hug before Romana cupped his cheek, pulling him down for a quick but loving kiss.

“I told you you would win,” Irving said, stroking her cheek.

“Shut up and kiss me again,” Romana told him, and so he did. In that moment all he knew was how proud he was of her, and all she knew was how happy she was.

* * *

Romana was busy the rest of the afternoon. First the medal ceremony, then came the press conference and the interviews. There would be a party to celebrate tomorrow, but for now Romana and Matthias were both exhausted and needed some time to relax.

By the time they were finally making their way to their hotel room, Romana was leaning on Irving.

“I need to stretch again,” she sighed. “I didn’t have enough time earlier.”

“I can help,” Irving offered.

“Or you could draw me a bath while I do it,” Romana suggested.

He laughed. “I suppose after winning an Olympic gold medal you do deserve being spoiled a little.”

“You would do that anyway, if I hadn’t explicitly told you not to,” she reminded him.

“Ah, yes. Speaking of…” Irving trailed off, at least having the decency to sound somewhat sheepish, as he unlocked the door to their room. A strong floral scent met them as he pushed it open, revealing the hundreds of flowers he had made sure would be waiting for her to celebrate her victory.

Romana took in the display of red roses on every available surface in their room for a moment and then she laughed.

“I couldn’t give you one on the ice. This was the only solution I could come up with,” Irving explained.

Romana stood on her toes to reach up and kiss his cheek to thank him. “You are impossible.”

“In the best possible way, I hope.” As he spoke Irving closed the door behind them.

“Of _that_ I am not sure yet,” Romana told him. “It’s a good thing I have a lifetime left to make up my mind.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Please tell me what you want to see next from the wynter olympics series, I really love writing for it.


End file.
